Looking for new EDC

So i got a 1911, which is awesome. I love it. Couldn't be happier with its function, accuracy, usability and reliability. Feels great to have a giant piece of steel in your hand, but that's the problem: it IS a GIANT piece of steel, so I'm looking for something smaller that I will actually carry everywhere.

Here is where I am stuck. I normally subscribe to the "9-is-fine" belief; however, as I look at smaller handguns with smaller capacities I begin to question it. Is 5 rounds of .357 or .38 +p (say LCR, or Bodyguard) better to have than say 8 rounds of 9mm (say in the keltec PF9). Or is it worth expanding my size limits to something like the m&pc or sr9c for the added firepower and get into the 10-12 range?

If you like the 1911 platform, you might want to take a look at the Para Carry 9 LDA. It is a great little gun that is easy to carry yet still has the feel of the 1911 and offers 9 rounds of 9mm..JMO

http://www.para-usa.com/new/product_pistol.php?id=58

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=216636691

IMHO, the .380 isn't big enough for my primary EDC and the selection of guns is not reliable enough for my taste. The smallest I'd look is a J Frame .38, but still as a back up.

I tried a bunch of 9mm compacts and sub compacts and settled on the M&P 9c. Very happy with the decision. Not too bad carrying at 1.2" wide. Not as thin as the single stack 9mm, but I chose the M&P for various reasons. I'm planning to get an M&P 40c soon though. That way I can share the same holsters. Also, I don't want to have to search hard for "good" 9mm SD ammo. I'd feel a bit more confident carrying .40 S&W over 9mm, but that's me.

Test fired the 9c and 40c side by side and my buddy and I thought the 40c didn't have too much more recoil than the 9c. I practice one handed 80% of the time too. For the same size gun as the 9mm, it's hard to beat the .40 S&W package.

going for the .40 in same size as the 9mm on the m&p c is a good thought, one i'll have to consider.

Personally I would take 5 shots of .357 over 8 of 9mm anyday. Not because I think 9mm isn't effective because it is but because I'm much better with a revolver and the .357 has a lot more versatility than the 9mm.

After having one for a few weeks now and putting a few hundred rounds down range with it without any problems what so ever, I'll suggest this little powerhouse.

The Kahr PM40. Six rounds of .40S&W can come in handy if needed. I'm carrying mine in a BUG role, usually on the ankle or in a pocket holster. My primary carry is still my LCR and that'll never change. IMO, you just can't go wrong with the compact revolver in a decent caliber, but a nice, accurate, lightweight and powerful little auto is a good option to have with ya too. Due to the size and weight of both these smaller but fairly powerful carry options, IMO it's to easy to be well armed and ready to defend one's self if need be. It's a pricy little auto, but my outlook on it is, it's a high quality semi auto and works as advertised.

Good luck with your new gun purchase. There's a lot of excellent firearms to choose from out there, but probably only one or two that will fit your need perfectly, so take some time and choose wisely.

Have you thought about the Glock 36?

In reading the poster's original comments, it sounds like he is looking for more rounds than a revolver in a lighter weight gun than a full size 1911. He mentioned 9mm as a possibility. Given those specs for his new EDC, I would look at a compact 9mm with polymer frame to keep weight down, and at least 9 or 10 round capacity. My personal preference would include Glock 19 or 26, H&K P2000SK, Walther P99 or S&W M&P 9c. My first choice would be the H&K P2000SK, with 10+1 capacity and weight of 21 ounces.

http://www.hk-usa.com/-images/produc...lg_p2000sk.jpg

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have given the G 36 some thought, and will go out and handle that, as well as the m&p c, and the p2k. I'd love to get something like the LCR in .357 mag, but that would be cutting it close on being able to stop 2 bad guys, which is the minimum criteria I've been using to make a judgment (i.e. asking "can this gun stop two bad guys if i do my part?"). I'm really leaning towards the keltec PF9, the sr9c, or the m&pc.

What makes me skeptical of the pf9 is capacity. I feel like a big reason the "wonder 9's" are so wondrous is because of double stack magazines...

We'll know by the end of the day :yup:

Personally when it comes to a defensive carry firearm I have two calibers I prefer. .357 and .45. Knowing that the majority of shootings are 2-3 shots at a distance less the 7 yards I want the most effective option I can get to cover the vast majority of situations within those parameters. I also want a firearm that is easy to carry, shoot and conceal. For me that is a .357 wheel gun.

If I wanted to go a bit larger it would probably be a Glock 36 or possibly a commander size 1911 (even though I detest manual safeties on defensive guns.

Thinking Glock 29 or 30,36. The 3" 1911 however is a good option too. colt new agent, or kimber CDP ultra crimson trace would be my choices for a 1911

What Rollo said +1
For me, .45 and .357 are the best sd calibers and weight has become an issue for me due to a physical handicap, so the LCR in .357 is my EDC these days. With a 6rd quik strip, I have 11 rds of 357. That's plenty for me. :wink: I also carry the g36. great gun, especially with +1 mag extensions for a total load of 8rds. YMMV

After watching a guy miss completely at 3 yards with a snub nosed .357 that he carries every day because he swears it is the best thing on the planet, I'll go with my Glock 26. I outscore him on stage 1 of the IDPA classification test by so much it isn't even funny. He may have a stouter cartridge, if you don't believe it, just ask him, he can quote all the numbers, but he's going to have to take them down with noise, or muzzle flash, because he routinely misses the whole target with 3 out of 5 shots, and then he's empty. Not good enough.

That said, there are folks who can shoot a snubnosed .357 very well - one of them posted on here with a video shooting the .357 LCR, but in my experience that is really unusual, especially shooting real .357 ammo.

What it comes down to is the only shots that count are hits. Hit the assailant enough times in the right places (regardless of urban legends, no handgun is an assured 1 shot stop) and the attack will stop regardless of caliber. Carrying the most gun one can shoot well enough to hit a high percentage of the time is what makes sense to me. I can do it with a 9mmP, not with a .40, or snub nosed .357. So for me, the right carry gun is a G26 with 11 rounds of DPX in it and 10 more in the spare magazine.

Fitch

Hey there SilenceDoGood! :wave:

It's not hard to carry a full size 1911, alls ya need is a good holster and belt :yup: They're as easy to carry as anything else.

The double stack pistols may be a bit lighter, but their thickness contributes to some discomfort.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fitch

After watching a guy miss completely at 3 yards with a snub nosed .357 that he carries every day because he swears it is the best thing on the planet, I'll go with my Glock 26. I outscore him on stage 1 of the IDPA classification test by so much it isn't even funny. He may have a stouter cartridge, if you don't believe it, just ask him, he can quote all the numbers, but he's going to have to take them down with noise, or muzzle flash, because he routinely misses the whole target with 3 out of 5 shots, and then he's empty. Not good enough.

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The only thing this really says to me is the guy is a terrible shot. This isnt a equipment fail, its a shooter fail. If you don't practice with what you shoot to be able to connect then NO cartridge is going to be effective. Even though I know I'll catch some flack for it I'm still willing to say it. If your in a shooting that is anything like the majority of defensive shootings where you only get 1-3 shots off the .357 has a higher likelyhood to bring down a attacker then 9mm ASSUMING the person shooting the gun is skilled enough to put the rounds on target. I know people hate "The caliber wars" and we all know that counting on a one shot stop is a good way to get yourself killed BUT there is no arguing that the .357 is a more potent round then the 9mm. Just because some guy that you shoot IDPA with can't shoot it worth a crap doesn't prove otherwise.